A Scottish Kirk at the Corner of Meeting and Tradd
First (Scots) Presbyterian Church stands at 53 Meeting Street, on the corner of Meeting and Tradd Streets in the heart of historic downtown Charleston, South Carolina. It is the fifth oldest house of worship in the city and one of the oldest continuously gathered Presbyterian congregations in the American South, organized in 1731 by twelve Scottish families who withdrew from the White Meeting House over their insistence on strict subscription to the Westminster Standards of the Church of Scotland. Today the congregation gathers at a columned portico with twin towers for worship that blends traditional, reformed liturgy with a music program built around an Ontko and Young pipe organ and a hand-built John Phillips harpsichord.
The congregation belongs to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and to the Charleston Atlantic Presbytery. Its stated mission is to glorify and enjoy God, honoring the past, serving the present, and shaping the future through shared ministries of worship, education, mission, and fellowship. Visitors are welcomed on Sunday mornings, at the Wednesday communion, and on weekdays for a wide range of studies, choirs, and fellowship gatherings.
From Twelve Families to a Living Kirk
The twelve founding families came from the Scottish Kirk of Scotland's reformation tradition. The dispute that gave them their own church was over the Westminster Standards. The Scots wanted strict subscription; the majority who stayed behind at the White Meeting House were non-subscribers. The new congregation was soon known as the Scots Kirk or the Scotch Meeting House.
The first ten ministers of the Scots Kirk were Scots. Two early pastors shaped the wider culture of the Carolinas: the Rev. Dr. Alexander Hewat, who served from 1763 to 1776 and wrote "History of the Provinces of South Carolina and Georgia," and the Rev. Dr. George Buist, who served from 1793 to 1808 while also serving as president of the College of Charleston. From 1832 to 1937, the congregation was served by only three pastors: the Rev. Dr. John Forrest (1832 to 1879), the Rev. William T. Thompson (1880 to 1900), and the Rev. Alexander Sprunt (1901 to 1937).
Across nearly three centuries, First (Scots) has weathered the Revolutionary and Civil Wars; the hurricanes of 1885, 1893, 1911, and 1989; the 1886 earthquake; a 1938 tornado; and a devastating sanctuary fire in August 1945. A Black fire company from Charleston saved the sanctuary that morning, climbing a ladder of lashed-together ladders to break through the plaster ceiling and pull a hose into the smoke-filled roof cavity. The story is preserved in the church's archive articles. The official history of the congregation, "Beyond the Burning Bush," was written by the Rev. Edward Guerrant Lilly, who served as pastor from 1937 to 1955, and was first published in 1971.
The Sanctuary on Meeting Street
The first worship space was a frame building completed in 1734 in the southeast corner of what is now the churchyard. It was enlarged in 1763 and twice again between 1783 and 1808. In 1814, the frame building was replaced by the present Sanctuary, a massive stuccoed brick building with twin towers rising above a columned portico. The building was likely designed and constructed by the Scottish master builders John and James Gordon, members of the congregation, and may have drawn inspiration from Benjamin H. Latrobe's Baltimore Cathedral.
The Lilly Chapel, named in honor of the Rev. Richard Lilly (who served 1937 to 1955), houses the 1814 Jenkins Memorial pulpit, a hand-carved wooden piece that survived nineteen years away from the building before being returned in 1964. The sanctuary is the architectural heart of the church's life and is used for weddings, baptisms, and the Sunday and midweek services. Tours of the sanctuary, graveyard, and Massie Educational Building are offered by docents after each Sunday service and by appointment during the week.
Sunday Worship
Two Sunday morning worship services are held in the Sanctuary from September through May, at 8:45 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. Sunday School for all ages meets at 10:00 a.m. in the Massie Building (adults), the Sanctuary Building (younger nursery), Harken Hall, the Kirk House, and other adjacent structures. During the summer, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, the congregation gathers for a single combined service at 10:00 a.m., with adult Sunday School at 9:00 a.m.
The service is centered on the reading and proclaiming of Scripture, in the traditional reformed style. Music is integral: each service opens with a prelude on organ and harpsichord, the choir sings traditional hymnody from the 1990 Presbyterian Hymnal, and choirs of all ages contribute anthems throughout the year. Communion is celebrated at both Sunday services on Communion Sundays and at the midweek service on Wednesdays. A "Time for Children" is offered during both services, after which children through kindergarten may go to nursery care.
Services are livestreamed on YouTube and through the church's online platform. Visitors arriving a few minutes early are invited to enjoy the musical prelude and announcements. Ushers are present at every service, and after any Sunday service, docents lead a 15 to 20 minute tour of the church.
Music in Many Voices
Music is at the heart of First (Scots)'s identity. The music program is led by Dr. Anthony Williams, Director of Music and Organist, and Dr. Ricard Bordas, Director of Choral Music.
The church's pipe organ, built by Ontko and Young of Charleston, is a four-manual instrument with 47 registers and 71 ranks. It accompanies congregational hymnody and the choirs at most Sunday services. For the music of Bach, Handel, Pachelbel, and Buxtehude, the church owns a John Phillips harpsichord built in 2001 in Berkeley, California, patterned after an instrument made in Dresden by Johann H. Grabner the Younger in 1739. One of only two of its type in the United States, it is a museum-quality instrument that complements the organ in the worship life of the church.
The principal adult ensemble is the Kirk Choir, primarily volunteer adults augmented by a quartet of paid staff singers, and open to youth in tenth grade and older. The choir rehearses Wednesday evenings from 6:45 to 8:15 p.m. and Sunday mornings at 10:15 a.m. before the 11:15 a.m. service. The Kirk Handbell Choir rehearses Monday afternoons from 5:15 to 6:30 p.m., rings approximately five or six Sundays a year, and is open to anyone regardless of music-reading ability. A Summer Choir meets only on Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m. to support the single summer service.
Children's choirs include the Cherub Choir (4 and 5 year olds, Wednesdays 4:30 to 5:00 p.m.), the Alleluia Choir (first and second graders, Wednesdays 4:00 to 4:30 p.m.), and the Kirk Choristers (third through fifth graders, Wednesdays 5:30 to 6:00 p.m.). All rehearse in Room 302 of the Massie Building. The church also welcomes guest musicians from the Charleston Symphony Orchestra throughout the year. Recent major works performed at First (Scots) have included Bach's St. John Passion, Magnificat, and Gloria for the Bach Festival of Charleston, as well as Handel's Messiah, Vivaldi's Gloria, and Charpentier's Messe de Minuit.
Come to the Table: Midweek Worship and Supper
From mid-September through mid-May, First (Scots) hosts a Wednesday evening rhythm that begins with a half-hour communion service at 5:00 p.m. in the Lilly Chapel and continues with a church family supper at 5:30 p.m. in Molly Wier Fellowship Hall. On the first Wednesday of the month, the service follows the reflective Taize style, with simple meditative music, scripture readings, prayer, and silence. On the other Wednesdays, the service follows a form of evening prayer. The communion is open to all, and the supper is priced at $10 for adults, $6 for school-age through college, and free for children through age five. A single family of any size eats for $25. Reservations for supper are due by Tuesday noon.
After dinner, educational programs are often offered in Molly Wier Hall. From September through March, youth in grades six through twelve serve as volunteers for Kirk Club, the church's midweek children's ministry, from 4:00 to 5:40 p.m., helping with recreation and supporting adult leaders. Supper is provided to youth volunteers at no cost.
Kirk Club: A Midweek Village for Children
Kirk Club, the church's LOGOS program, has been part of the First (Scots) ministry since 2000. It provides Christian education for children, youth, and their families on Wednesday afternoons and evenings, pairing parents and the church in helping children learn what it means to be disciples of Jesus Christ. Registration is open to children of church members and the wider community.
Sunday morning education for children begins at 10:00 a.m. The Nursery is open during both worship services for children from birth through age two, with the Younger Nursery (birth through walkers) in Room 109 of the Sanctuary Building and the Older Nursery (walkers through age two) in Room 112 of the Massie Building. Preschool Sunday School for three- and four-year-olds meets in Room 115 of Harken Hall, exploring Old and New Testament Bible stories. Kindergarten through fifth grade meet on the third floor of the Massie Building in a rotation model, moving through learning stations focused on art, recreation, mission, drama, cooking, spiritual disciplines, and science. Children begin each week in Room 302 with music and a Bible story. Each child is paired with a shepherd who leads them to their rotation room.
Youth Ministry
The youth ministry is led by the Rev. Dr. James T. Rogers, Associate Pastor for Youth and Their Families, and Maria Massie Hagan, Youth Ministry Coordinator. The stated mission is to nurture young people into lifelong Christian discipleship by involving youth and their families in a safe Christian community, encouraging them to live spiritually rich, Biblically based, God-centered lives, and preparing them to extend the love of Christ.
From September through May, the middle school and high school youth groups meet Sunday nights from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. for fellowship, service, congregational care, study, and worship. Sunday mornings during the program year, youth participate in worship at 8:45 and 11:15 a.m., gather for Kirk Cafe in the Kirk House (62 King Street) from 9:45 to 10:00 a.m., and attend Sunday School from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. in the Kirk House (62 King Street), where middle school meets on the second floor and high school on the first.
Confirmation is an eight-month process typically completed during the eighth-grade year, led by Dr. James Rogers, Elder John McNeill, and Deacon Emily Topham. Classes meet during the Sunday School hour from September through April and are based on the PC(USA)'s "Big God Big Questions: Confirmation for a Growing Faith" curriculum. Students are received into the church on the first Sunday of May during the 11:15 a.m. service. Youth also attend retreats, conferences, and mission trips, including youth retreats at Montreat in North Carolina. Annual Youth Sunday services in February give youth the chance to preach; recent Youth Sunday sermons have included "He Leadeth Me," "No Possible Path?" and "The Road of Opportunity."
Adult Education and Small Groups
Sunday morning adult education at 10:00 a.m. offers several classes. The Dan Adams Class, led by Chris Hawk and Bob Baldwin in Room 202, studies what Scripture means today through Books of the Bible, lectionary passages, and Reformed Theology. The Explorer's Class, led by Richard Daehler-Wilking in Room 229, works through Professor Luke Timothy Johnson's "Jesus and the Gospels" teaching series, then continues with the Gospels of Luke and John and non-canonical gospels. The Wired Word class, led by Anne and Bob Dukes in Room 224, links the week's news headlines to scripture through a weekly email curriculum.
Throughout the week, the church hosts a robust set of Bible studies. Men's Breakfast and Bible Study meets Tuesday mornings at 7:00 a.m. in Molly Wier Hall, led by Dr. Holton Siegling, with breakfast for $10. The Women's Tuesday Evening Bible Study, led by Ruthie Edwards, meets from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in Room 202 of the Massie Building. The Women's Wednesday Morning Bible Study, led by Amy Shubert, meets from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. in Room 203 of the Massie Building. H.E.A.R.T. Moms Connect, a fellowship for mothers of young children, meets during Kirk Club time on Wednesdays from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in Room 203 of the Massie Building. Lectio Divina, led by Mary Robinson, meets Thursdays from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Co-Ed Table Talk, led by Dr. Holton Siegling, meets at 12:00 p.m. in Rooms 227/228 of the Massie Building.
Presbyterian Women and Fellowship
Presbyterian Women at First (Scots) seek to unite all the women of the church in Christian fellowship through small groups called Circles. There are four Circles: The Unbroken Circle meets the second Tuesday of each month at 10:00 a.m. in members' homes; The Seekers Circle meets the second Wednesday of the month in members' homes; The Betty Noble Circle meets the second Tuesday of each month at 9:30 a.m. in members' homes; and The Women at the Well Circle meets on Thursday evenings at 6:30 p.m. in members' homes. The Circles support the Charleston Atlantic Presbytery, Thornwell Home and School for Children in Clinton, Presbyterian Village of Summerville, the church's freshman college students, and various special offerings, pastoral care, and local missions.
Presbyterian Women sponsor a Fall Gathering in September, a Valentine's Luncheon in February, a Birthday Brunch in May that collects the PW Birthday Offering, and a Women's Retreat in January or February for spiritual renewal. Outside the Circles, fellowship opportunities for adults include the Koinonia groups, half a dozen clusters of about twenty people each that meet monthly in members' homes for a shared meal; Prayer Shawl Ministry on the first and third Mondays at 1:00 p.m. in Room 205; Bridge Mondays from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in Room 203; Scots on the Rock for young adults in their twenties, thirties, and forties; and Scots on the Go, a fellowship and learning group that explores the Lowcountry. Annual church-wide gatherings include a Lowcountry Shrimp Boil in the fall, a Progressive Dinner in December, an Oyster Roast in January, the Annual Fellowship Picnic in the spring, an Easter Egg Hunt, and the Annual Golf Tournament that raises money for youth mission trips.
Congregational Care
Congregational Care at First (Scots) is coordinated by Mary Robinson, the Commissioned Lay Pastor and Parish Associate, and a wide circle of lay volunteers. The work takes many forms. Angel Food Ministry prepares or purchases meals for families after the birth or adoption of a child. Baby Gift Bags delivers a gift bag when a baby is born. Care Notes writes weekly notes to members listed on the Joys and Concerns prayer list. Deacon Care Teams visit and write to members who are unable to attend in person. Extended Communion brings communion from an elder and a pastor to those who cannot come to the sanctuary. Flower Ministry rearranges and delivers sanctuary flowers to those in need. Funeral Receptions prepare and serve punch and cookies at memorial services. Grief Booklets, a Stephen Ministry outreach, mails a four-part set of booklets on coping with loss to those who have experienced a death. Martha Ministry prepares and delivers meals to families following a death, hospitalization, or other need. Prayer Ministry meets weekly on Mondays at noon to pray for the Joys and Concerns prayer list, the church staff, the Session, committees, program leaders, and Sunday school teachers. Prayer Shawls knits and crochets shawls for those in need of comfort.
Stephen Ministry is a complete system for training and organizing lay people to provide one-to-one Christian care to hurting people. Stephen Ministers at First (Scots) are trained through the national Stephen Ministry program and offer confidential care to church members and others in the community facing bereavement, hospitalization, terminal illness, separation, divorce, unemployment, relocation, or other crises. Cancer Companions is a nine-week course that equips participants with tools to find peace during a cancer journey, rooted in Christian faith.
Local and World Missions
The Local Missions Committee partners with organizations throughout the Lowcountry. The work includes campus ministries at the Citadel and the College of Charleston, support for Thornwell Home and School, and shelter and food ministries. The Habitat for Humanity Faith Build, an annual volunteer project, draws members from across the congregation. S.C.O.T.S. Day is a Sunday set aside for hands-on service in the wider community.
The World Missions Committee has longtime partnerships with: The La Gonave Partnership in Haiti, focused on reducing mother and infant mortality through birthing kits, blankets, and basic medicines; The LAMB Institute, a Christ-centered ministry in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, that operates an elementary school, youth outreach, community programs, and a residential home for over sixty abused and neglected children; Water Mission, a nonprofit Christian engineering organization providing sustainable safe water and sanitation in 55 countries; and Medical Missions, Inc, a nonprofit founded in 1992 that has built Presbyterian hospitals, churches, and schools in developing countries, including long-time work by Dr. Salvador and Irma Del Torre in Mexico, Haiti, and Africa.
God's Gift Shop, an alternative Christmas gift market set up in Molly Wier Hall each Advent, partners with these and other agencies to allow members to purchase meaningful gifts ranging from a meal at One80 Place in Charleston to a water buffalo through Heifer International for a farmer in Cambodia or Thailand.
A Kindergarten on the Church Grounds
First (Scots) Presbyterian Preschool and Kindergarten, founded in 1956, has provided generations of Charleston children a chance to develop socially, spiritually, physically, emotionally, and intellectually in an atmosphere of Christian love. The school is located in the church's historic buildings on the Meeting Street grounds.
The program welcomes students of any race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, and takes a child-centered approach to learning through hands-on discovery and directed instruction. Children participate weekly in music and library classes and in Chapel led by a member of the church's professional staff. Field trips to the Fire Museum, Charlestowne Landing, the Rabbit Hole at the Charleston Library Society, and area historical sites are part of the curriculum, and Senior Kindergarten students travel by bus to Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia. Annual special events include Grandparents and Special Friends Day, a Father's Day Celebration, a Mother's Day Luncheon, Thanksgiving and Christmas programs, and Closing Exercises presented by the Senior and Junior Kindergarten classes in the spring. Faculty members attend workshops and conferences held by NAEYC, the Southern Early Childhood Association, the South Carolina Association for the Education of Young Children, and the Staff Development Institute. The school is administered by Kindergarten Director Jennifer Cromwell.
Kirkin' o' the Tartan and Parramore Sunday
Two annual services mark the rhythms of the church year and reflect First (Scots)'s distinctive heritage.
Scottish Heritage Sunday and the Kirkin' o' the Tartan is observed each fall. The ceremony is based on Scottish history and legend: after Bonnie Prince Charlie's defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, Parliament banned the carrying of arms and the wearing of kilts or tartan. Scots slipped pieces of their tartan into worship for secret blessing, a "kirkin'." When the ban was finally lifted decades later, the Church of Scotland celebrated with a Service of Family Covenant in which the tartan of each family was offered for the Lord's blessing. The first Kirkin' o' the Tartan at First (Scots) was held September 23, 1973, in connection with the Charleston Games at Middleton Gardens. The Sunday was originally called Scottish Emphasis Sunday before taking its present name two years later.
Parramore Sunday was established in 1997 in memory of Dr. Redden L. Parramore Jr., a deacon and elder of the congregation, by his family. Each year the series brings an outstanding guest preacher to First (Scots) "to glorify God, and to be beneficial to members of First (Scots) Church and the Charleston Community." Recent Parramore preachers have included the Rev. Dr. Thomas K. Tewell, the Rev. Thomas Are Jr., the Rev. Dr. Jonathan L. Walton, and the Very Rev. Dr. Shaw Paterson.
Leadership
The senior pastor is the Rev. Dr. L. Holton Siegling, Jr., a sixth-generation Charlestonian who was called to First (Scots) in the summer of 2017 after pastorates in Spartanburg, South Carolina; Marion, South Carolina; Fernandina Beach, Florida; and Knoxville, Tennessee. He earned his Doctor of Ministry from Columbia Theological Seminary in 2007 and has participated in pulpit exchanges with sister churches in Scotland, served as a reader for the Presbyterian Church's national ordination exams, and led several pilgrimages to the Holy Land. He is a Paul Harris Fellow and Past President of the local Rotary, an honorary member and chaplain for the St. Andrews Society, and a member of the German Friendly Society, the Hibernian Society, and the Washington Light Infantry. He and his wife Martha Ann have three children, Harrison, Will, and Mary Caroline.
The Associate Pastor for Youth and Their Families is the Rev. Dr. James T. Rogers, a native of Lexington, South Carolina, who earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Clemson University in 2003, a Master of Divinity from Columbia Theological Seminary in 2006, and a Doctor of Ministry from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in 2017. He has been ordained and installed at First (Scots) since 2006 and oversees the youth ministry including Sunday Night Youth Group, Confirmation, retreats, conferences, and mission trips. He and his wife Kate have a son, Barnes.
Mary Robinson serves as Commissioned Lay Pastor and Parish Associate, providing pastoral care and leading the Lectio Divina Bible study. She is the staff contact for the Joys and Concerns prayer list and coordinates much of the Congregational Care ministry.
Dr. Ricard Bordas, born in Barcelona, Spain, is Director of Choral Music. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music in London, he is also Artistic Director of the Bach Society of Charleston and the Charleston Men's Chorus and Assistant Professor of Music at Charleston Southern University. He has performed as a countertenor soloist in opera and concert and recorded for several labels, including a Grammy-nominated recording of Lully's Psyche for CPO.
Dr. Anthony Williams is Director of Music and Organist. He came to First (Scots) in January 2024 after more than thirty years on the music faculty of Fisk University in Nashville, where he directed the Fisk Jubilee Singers and taught organ and music history. He has performed organ recitals in the United States, Central America, and Europe, and presented three recitals for the Piccolo Spoleto Festival L'Organo Series. He holds degrees from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, the University of Michigan, and the American Conservatory of Music.
The church's governance follows the Presbyterian pattern. The Session, made up of the pastors and elected elders, is the chief governing body of the congregation, moderated by the senior pastor. The Diaconate, made up of elected deacons serving three-year terms, oversees congregational care, hospitality, and welcome. Members can join the church through Inquiry Classes offered three times each year, usually on Saturday mornings at 9:00 a.m.